In Winter

The northern border of Italy is a long stretch of snow-capped peaks, teeming with outdoor enthusiasts and offering spectacular Alpine scenery -- not to mention some great cheese-loaded food. Most Italians prefer to spend a week in one resort, and indeed most hotels tend to rent out rooms by the week. But it is certainly possible to visit several winter wonderlands in a single visit if you find those hotels that offer a 2- or 3-night stay, and book them well ahead of time. (It's best to try later in the winter, when the snow is better anyway.) This 10-day loop hits the top spots for skiing, snowboarding, and generally soaking in the mountain atmosphere. You will need to rent a car, and if you pick it up and return it at Malpensa airport instead of in Milan, you will save time. A final caution: Some mountain roads close after a very heavy snowstorm. In any case, you are required to have tire chains, so book them well ahead of time, with your car.

Day 1: Turin & Aosta

As the 2006 Olympic Games showed, Turin is a natural gateway to the Alps and a stunning city in the wintertime. Most importantly, it's just over an hour's drive from Malpensa airport. Winter sports enthusiasts can check out the new multimillion dollar sports complexes where the ice hockey and skating events were held, but be sure to have an introductory cappuccino at one of the city's centuries-old cafes. If you linger over lunch, explore the haunts of Italy's former royalty and stay until sunset, the city also has an impressive artists' lights exhibition, which hangs over each of the major thoroughfares in winter months. It is truly a memorable scene. From Turin it is only about an hour's drive to Aosta, at the foothills to the Alps and a great place to stay for the night before skiing.

Days 2, 3 & 4: Mont Blanc & Cervinia (The Matterhorn)

Mont Blanc (Monte Bianco to your hosts) is the pinnacle of the Alps in every sense. It is international, boasting the convergence of France, Italy, and Switzerland; it has great Alpine food and culture at every turn; and it is the highest point in Europe. From Courmayeur, take the tramway to the top, or Punta Helbronner, and ski/board down the heavenly Vallee Blanche glacier into Chamonix, France. There are buses there for the return trip to Italy, through the tunnel. Guides can take you backcountry skiing just about anywhere you like (weather, crevasses, and avalanche danger permitting). Set aside 1 day to visit nearby Cervinia and the Matterhorn, which is less challenging but just as scenic. Take the cable cars up to Plateau Rosa and wind your way down the slopes to Zermatt, Switzerland, for lunch. At the end of the ski day, don't waste too much time in Breuil, which is not nearly as cozy and quaint as Courmeyeur, and make tracks for Milan for some much better nightlife.

Day 5: Milan, Verona & Trento

This is your big driving day to get to the "other" Alps, the Dolomites, and Autostrada A4 is far and away the fastest way to go. Take a break from the outdoors and do some shopping in Milan in the morning, then head out toward Verona for a late lunch and a walk around the home of Romeo and Juliet (see chapter 5). In winter, it will be at its most authentic and almost completely devoid of other tourists. The late afternoon, when the sunset starts to reflect off the craggy Dolomite peaks, is the best time to take the scenic A22 highway to Trento. The city is a captivating entrance to this German-speaking part of Italy, especially under a snowfall, and an excellent place to have dinner and spend the evening.

Day 6: Bolzano, Merano & the Great Dolomite Road

Visit Ötzi, the 5,300-year-old "Ice Man" found frozen in the Alps in the 1990s, who now makes his home in the Alto Adige Archeological Museum in Bolzano. Just 17 miles away is the magical town of Merano, where snow-scene lovers should take the Winter Walk along the Passer River toward the splendid castle of the Counts of Tirol. Before sunset, start making your way over to Cortina d'Ampezzo along the Great Dolomite Road for perhaps the most spectacular mountain drive in Italy. (Remember that this road might be closed after a mighty snowfall, so be prepared to nix Cortina, if necessary, and spend an extra day or two skiing Madonna del Campiglio, described below.)

Day 7 & 8: Cortina d'Ampezzo

Keeping to the Winter Olympics theme started in Turin, enjoy one of the older versions in Cortina, which hosted the games in 1956. Those tired of skiing can always go ice-skating at the old Olympic rinks, but the slopes are spectacular and have the scenery to match. The town itself is a little pricey at night, but the romantic setting is unmatched anywhere else in the mountains. After making your last turns on the slopes on the second day, head back toward Bolzano and then Trento on the Great Dolomite Road. (If it has closed after a storm, your best option is to take the A22 to Venice.)

Day 9 & 10: Back to Malpensa, via Valtellina & Lake Como

It is not a long drive along the S42 to Ponte di Legno and its nationally known sled-dog school. Continue on the S42 and turn onto the S39 toward the ski resort of Aprica. From there, the S38 highway leads along the Valtellina valley, where restaurants in the wintertime are almost always serving the inimitable pizzoccheri of northern Lombardy: buckwheat pasta mixed with melted taleggio cheese, potatoes and garlic, a must-have on any ski trip to northern Italy. Soon you'll reach the northern tip of Lake Como, a peaceful oasis in winter just north of Malpensa airport.